The Greenville times., 1887-01-01

in our opinion, aud We have no de-
sire to see him superseded BY
any other. but We are far from
feeling regret that many of them
have determined to Try their for
tunes in the lower valley, aban-
dOning the prairie country of Mis-
slssippi. Our reason for this Is
that we have been fully convinced
for more than twenty years that
the prairie of our State is destined
to be the grass growers and
blooded stock raisers' paradise,
eelipsing even the famous blue
grass country of Kentuckey; and
We have no desire to see the me-
tamorphose which We regard as
inevitable, longer postposed.
That this view of the case is
shared by many of the progress
siye farmers of the prairie is
evinced by the pioneer efforts
they have made in the last three
years; almost all of them are
now hay makers and savers to a
considerable extent, while herds
of fine cattle, fiocks of sheep, and
droves of thrifty hogs are to be
seen on numerous cotton planta'
tions.
This change cannot be sudden
and should not be, and the chan
ces are that enough laborers will
remain on the prairies for several
years yet to cultivate a large cot
ton area, but every carload that
departs emphasizes the need OF
timely preparation for q change
that is full of hopeful presage.
A stock farm cannot be started
in day, hence the farmer who is
well supplied with field hands for
the coming season has a year given
him for preparation and should
not loose a moment of the availa.
BILE time. He has division fences
and barns to build, and he has
cattle to buy, and more than all,
he has to plow and harrow the
land he proposes to devote to
grass, so that he can fully utilize
moving machines and horse rakes,
for this thing of cutting hay on old
cotton and corn fields without
leveling, and trundling over ridges
and stumps, may do for careless
cotton planter but will be ruinous
to the hay farmers and stock
raiser.
A thousand or two negro labor
ers lost to the prairie this winter
will be severely felt, and a repeti
tion of the exodus next season
must inevitably revolutlonize agri
culture in the neighborhoods
chiefly depleted, but timely and
thoughtful action on the part ol
the planters will surely convert
the seeming disaster into one oI
the greatest of blessings.
In regard to the going of the
negroes we have only good wishes
to send with them and after them
We hope that their condition
financially and in all other respects
may be bettered by the change
as we hope and believe that the
affairs Of most of their late EN-
ployers will be improved by any
circumstance of mans ordering ol
Gods ordainlng that gives the
great prairie country of Mississip'
pi back to the grasses in whose
lordly possession we found them
and for whose suppression ano
extirpation we have fought un
ceasingly and unsuccessfulIy fol
fifty years and which have since
the war been reinforced by Heav
EMS ''last best gift to Southern
man, the glorious Lespedesia. =
| Aberdeen Examiner.
Summit Notes for the Clarion
In reply to some written lnqui
ries concerning the condition o
the people of Pike county, | re
ceived answers from one of thu
largest merchants in Summit. HI
has done business in this count,
for the last thirty years, and knows
the people well, not only in Pix
but Amite county. The object o
the inquiries is to show that th,
financial condition of the people
n IL r. H.,